Pediatric Anesthesiology at Children's Hospital Colorado
Hi, my name is Dr. Tom Majcher, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology. At Children's Hospital Colorado our anesthesiologists are pediatric experts who provide comfort and pain control during and after a surgery or procedure. To do this safely, anesthesiology providers (who are physicians and advanced practice providers) are involved in the entire process: from planning of the surgery, throughout the procedure until your child is safely recovered from the effects of the medications (often referred to as “anesthesia”). At times, we even follow your child’s progress in recovery for several days to assure optimal pain control.
What to Expect from Anesthesia
If your child is having surgery or a procedure at Children's Colorado, an anesthesia provider will be with him or her for the duration of the surgery/procedure, continuously monitoring your child’s heartbeat, blood pressure and oxygen levels. Your child will receive anesthesia for the entire procedure, maximizing their safety and comfort. Depending on the type of surgery/procedure, your anesthesia team may speak with you about different types of anesthesia, such as a general, epidural or a nerve block.
Why Choose Children's Hospital Colorado?
The Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology Department is made up of a multidisciplinary team of highly trained pediatric anesthesia experts. Our team carries out more than 32,000 anesthetic procedures per year, specializing in the unique needs of children undergoing surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
We have more than 50 specialty-trained pediatric anesthesiologists and over 30 advanced practice providers (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and Anesthesiologist Assistants) who specialize in pediatric anesthesia. Our experts are available for your child 24/7 whether it is for emergency surgery, trauma response, pain management or beginning an IV.
Services Offered
- An anesthesia evaluation before surgery in our Preoperative Clinic
- Anesthesia services for every type of surgical procedure from ambulatory (outpatient) surgery to high-risk surgeries
- Anesthesia services for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as gastrointestinal endoscopy, dental restoration, radiographic studies, interventional pain procedures, oncology procedures, and hearing/vision tests
- Difficult IV consults
- Critical care medicine consultations
- Difficult airway consultations
- 24-hour coverage after surgery from anesthesia providers at Children's Colorado
Subspecialty Services
- Cardiac anesthesia
- Acute and chronic pain services
- Level I trauma coverage with three 24-hour in-hospital anesthesia providers
- Two 24 hour, in-hospital Emergency Response Team members
- Transplant anesthesia
- Obstetric anesthesia
- Anesthesia for fetal interventions
- Anesthesia care for children with rare pediatric conditions, such as epidermolysis bullosa and mucopolysaccharidosis
- An in-hospital anesthesia simulation program that assists in educating staff to safely manage emergency situations
Anesthesia Research
The Division of Anesthesiology conducts ongoing clinical and non-clinical research to provide innovative anesthesia care for children. We have multiple clinical research studies for which your child may qualify.
A research assistant may talk to you about your child participating in one of our active studies. All research studies are carefully reviewed and approved by The Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board. Our goal is to identify new, safe anesthetic care strategies to maximize comfort and improved outcomes for children.
You may ask your doctor, nurse or anyone on the research team about any of these studies, or you can call (720) 777-6226.